


like real people do

by joshriku



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:42:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28041852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshriku/pseuds/joshriku
Summary: It's only natural, then, to fall for people in the most unexpected places.
Relationships: Kiryu "Joshua" Yoshiya/Riku (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 10





	like real people do

**Author's Note:**

> title indeed from hozier's like real people do :]

First meetings can be quite exceptional, depending on the person you meet, and _when_ you meet them. Consequently, first meetings are held in terribly high regards —first meetings can dictate pretty much everything. Riku would like to start considering _second_ meetings as more tolerable and more desirable, if his experiences are anything to go by. 

Shibuya is bright and vibrant and so full of life at all times. It’s been a full minute, two at most, and Riku is already extremely lost. First of all, no one had given him a _map_ —all he has to come along to this is him, and his determination to find his best friend. Quadratum—um, well, Shinjuku—had been fruitless, so this was the other shot he had at this.

And this better count. Riku’s running out of options.

There is only _one_ person he knows could help him out—of course, who else would understand Riku’s incredibly specific issue if not for the one guy with wings who could hop between worlds like it was nothing? Now… to find Joshua among all these people, well, that’s an arduous task.

Better get to work.

The sun has considerably gone down when Riku reaches a shop by the name of WildKat. It’s been such a long day. He’s been running from place to another, realizing that perhaps, coming to a whole new world with no reference of where to look for, was not a good idea. How was he meant to find _one_ guy in the entirety of a world?

He pushes the door of the store open—it’s a café, isn’t it? Riku could use some food. More caffeine, definitely, if he wanted to stay up and wanted to continue searching. If he didn’t find Joshua, that’d be fine; it would not be Riku’s first time to solve problems alone. Just as the thought finishes, he opens the door, and the whole world stops for a second.

Joshua is sitting on one of the stools, immediately turning his head to see who entered, and his eyes quickly widen with recognition. Riku feels like he’s seen a ghost. Right when the barista is greeting him, he stupidly stumbles out a: “Joshua?”

Joshua seems to exit his thoughts at the same time, a satisfied smile drawing on his lips. “Well, would you look at that? Hello there, Riku. What could possibly bring _you_ here?”

“I—” Riku stops. There’s a lot to say to even state why he’s here. He laughs slightly and says, “It’s kind of a long story. Can I have… some coffee?” his eyes flicker down to the rest of the menu. “Maybe two muffins.”

“Comin’ right up, boss,” the barista says. “Can I catch yer name again?”

“Riku, sir.”

The barista snorts. “ _Sir._ Haven’t heard anyone this polite in ages.”

Riku flushes, but before he can do anything—take it back? Maybe he’s not _that_ old?—Joshua motions him to come closer. “You can ignore Mr. H. God knows I do.”

“Hey.”

“Let’s go to a bigger table, shall we?” Joshua hops down from the stool and abruptly stops in front of Riku. He looks up, blinking. “Woah. I don’t remember _this_ height difference between us.”

It only registers to Riku _now_ that Joshua is, in fact, shorter than him. He remembers seeing the other boy eye-to-eye, but now, Riku has to tilt his head slightly. The amusement of this revelation relieves Riku of most of his stress. “I’ve always been this tall. You were just lucky to meet me in a dream.”

“Should’ve let me know earlier for my pride,” Joshua grumbles. “Quick, let’s get to the table—I wish to not be aware of our difference any longer.”

Riku laughs as he follows along. He sits down across him on the table, watching with slight detachment how Joshua gets himself comfortable, twirling his hair. It’s been well over a year since the last time he saw him, and he doesn’t look all that different—maybe his hair is a little longer than before, but that’s about it.

“So, enlighten me: what brings you to our humble Shibuya?” Joshua smiles, resting his chin on his hand as he leans forward. The smile feels...condescending, almost. “I know it’s not for a visit or to catch up—wouldn’t you have done that earlier, if it were to be the case?”

“Well… you’re right about that,” Riku says, slightly apologetic. They _did_ promise to meet again, just, Riku had delivered his promise a bit late. A year late, in fact. “I need your help.”

“Figured you would,” Joshua answers. “I did not expect you to be here a year later only to ask me for dinner, mm?” 

The barista comes with Rikuʼs order, happily delivering. “Enjoy, boss. Thatʼll be ¥1200.”

“Ah, I—” Riku nervously digs his pockets. _Yen?_ Heʼs never heard of that before. Most Moogle shops take, well, munny. Which is all that Riku is carrying. “Do you take munny?” 

He shows the golden coins and the barista stares at it, briefly, before Joshua interjects: “Iʼll pay for him. Iʼm afraid our friend here is from another world—he most likely forgot _currencies_ are a thing.”

Riku laughs nervously. First, the barista could _know_ about other worlds? Second, yeah. Riku had completely forgotten that rules differed in each world, _especially_ here, in a whole different plane of existence. 

“Iʼm sorry.” 

“Had a feeling you were from another world,” he rubs his neck. “Not a lot of folks in Shibuya dress like you. Plus, you can see Josh.”

Riku blinks. “Are we not supposed to see him? Heʼs sitting in front of me. Hard to miss.”

“The only explanation for it is that, since you're from another world, our rules do not apply to you.” Joshua folds his hands. “People donʼt usually see me. Better put: they _canʼt_ see me. The frequency in which I exist is higher than usual, so, I have to forcibly tone it down in order to be seen. You, however, see me plain as day. Perhaps you can handle having me around and not develop a crushing headache—who knows?” he giggles. “Guess weʼll have to see.”

“One develops a headache around Josh regardless of frequencies,” the barista bursts out laughing. Joshua glares at him. “But thatʼs pretty much it, kid. How do you know Josh?” 

“A dream,” Riku says. “We met in the Sleeping Worlds and helped each other out.”

“You remember I told you about those guys with their swords helping us come back here,” Joshua explains to him. “This is Riku. Heʼs the most sensible out of the two. Riku, this is my friend, Mr. H.”

Mr. H shakes his hand. “Full nameʼs Sanae Hanekoma. Lover of arts and coffee beans, life, a Pisces, and—” 

“Riku didnʼt ask for your full biography, Mr. H.”

Riku laughs slightly. “Itʼs a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise. Guess Iʼll leave you guys to your date and catching up, ʼmkay?” 

He retrieves to the back of the store, humming to himself. What a nice guy. Riku turns his attention back on Joshua. 

“Soraʼs gone missing,” Riku begins explaining. “Itʼs been over a year. My dreams allowed us to reach a place near here—Quadratum—er, I think it's called Shinjuku around here. I didnʼt find any clues there. I only have this place left, and youʼre pretty extraordinary. I figured if I had to ask anyone for help, it had to be you.”

Joshua looks deep in thought. “Describe _gone missing._ Just left home? Kidnapped? What was it?” 

“Vanished.”

His eyes widen slightly. “Well, I _can_ help you with that.”

Riku grins. “Thank you.”

“Nothing to thank for—I simply owed you one,” he grins back. “Of course, if you ever wanted to thank me by buying me dinner, I would not be opposed to it.”

“Iʼm gonna need _real_ money first, Joshua.”

Joshua breaks into short laughter. Riku smiles. It feels like everything is going to be a bit easier now. Indeed, this second-first-meeting: way better than the first one. 

* * *

“Hey, how are you holding up?” 

Joshua wipes his forehead. “As well as one can be when under attack by robots—seriously, what did you bring to this world?” 

Despite the situation, Riku chuckles. Yeah, this Yozora guy and company had a thing for robots during battles. Riku assumes that they got a power boost in Shibuya, because he _remembers_ these enemies not being as powerful the last time he fought them. 

Riku takes out a potion, quickly grabs Joshuaʼs arm, and breaks the small bottle over it. “As an apology,” Riku smiles at him. 

Joshua drops his arm immediately, staring at Riku just slightly shocked. He shakes his head. “Apology for ruining my city or late apology over a late promise?” 

“The city,” Riku says. “You said dinner would pay for the apology. Donʼt get hurt, alright?” 

Just a tad disconcerted, Joshua asks, “Youʼre telling _me?”_

“Does it look like I’m talking to someone else right now?”

“Interesting,” Joshua giggles. “Granted, you don’t need to tell me to take care of myself. In case you have forgotten, you can’t kill what’s already dead.”

Riku shakes his head. “Just don’t get injured. You can manage that.”

“Are you _worried_ about me?” Joshua says, the mocking undertone not going unnoticed. “W—”

“I _do_ worry about you,” Riku says. “Do we have a problem with that?”

That catches Joshua off-guard, by the way he suddenly stops talking and looks at Riku like he grew an extra head. “...I suppose we don’t.”

“Good. I’ll see you soon.”

Joshua doesn’t do anything else other than nod, and then he’s on his way.

Riku sighs. He should be on his way, too.

After checking up on everyone, making sure they were all okay, and _finally_ once he makes sure all the threats are gone, Riku allows himself a deep breath. 

“Good job,” Joshua says, but it sounds a little far away. That battle was far too exhausting. They're the only ones left in the Room of Reckoning, and honestly, things are being a little dizzy now. “Did not expect anything less from you! Frankly, it felt like a breeze—Riku?”

Riku blinks. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“Are you feeling well?” 

It must be pretty obvious if Joshua is asking. It’s only them here, so he says, “No, not really.”

Before Joshua continues, Riku takes one step forward, and promptly stumbles—had it not been for Joshua, he would've fallen face-first to the floor. Joshua is a _lot_ stronger than he looks, so he allows some of his weight to rest on him when he's picked up. 

“It’s okay. I've got you,” Joshua mumbles. “Think you can walk back to Dead God’s Pad?” 

“Dead God what?” 

“The room with the sofa.”

Riku already feels his legs giving in at the thought of walking. “Yeah, sure.”

“Riku. Be honest.”

“...No, I'm really tired.”

“It's okay,” Joshua says again. It’s more comforting the more he says it. “Hope you're okay with flying because I, too, hate walking.”

Riku manages to laugh despite it all. “Thank you so much.”

“Be quiet, you're wasting energy.”

“Yessir.”

Feels like _forever_ has passed by when Riku wakes up again, sitting up from the comfortable sofa. His body is extremely sore, like the endless strength he had earlier totally left his body. Dead God’s Pad, as quiet and strange as it seems, has a calm atmosphere to it. When did he get to the sofa?

And where’s Joshua?

“Joshua?” he calls. No reply yet. He gets up, walking around, looking at the fish below him move—were those real? “Joshua!”

“Oh, you’re up,” Joshua finally answers, entering the room. “I got you food.”

Riku sees the bags of food he’s carrying and smiles. “Thank you—I, how long have I been out?”

“A week.”

“ _What?_ ” Riku almost falls down. “How has it been one week? What?”

“What did you expect? It’s been forever since you last slept, you know. You fought _so_ bravely to protect your friends and Shibuya, it must’ve drained you out.”

“Are—where _are_ my friends?”

Joshua shrugs. “Do we care?”

“Yes!”

“Fine, fine, I’m joking,” Joshua waves his hand, sitting down and opening the bags of food. The smell is enchanting. “It’s been like three hours. Your friends are hanging out in Shibuya, eating. Do you want to go with them?”

Well—Riku kind of doesn’t want to. His legs are tired, if he tried to walk, he’d fall down. So he sits down next to Joshua and reaches inside the bag. “No, I’m good.”

Joshua eyes him suspiciously. “I don’t want pity company.”

“I’ve been meaning to just sit with you,” he says, honestly. “Ever since I’ve arrived here, all I did is run around one place to another and drag you with me. I wanted to have you for myself, calmly.”

The other boy bursts out laughing. “You talk big, and I admire you for even trying to make me believe that lie.”

“I’m being serious,” Riku continues, digging into his ramen. Gosh, food tastes like salvation right now. “You don’t have to believe me, it’s just how I feel.”

“Mm. Sure,” he says. “I’ll pretend I believe you. What’s your opinion on the ramen? Hate it, love it…? Specific thoughts?”

“I haven’t had a plate of ramen in a year or so,” Riku frowns a little. When was the last time he’s had a good plate of food, actually? “Hmm. I haven’t had a proper time to sit down and eat in ages, though, so I think this is the best ramen I’ve ever had.”

“Oooh! Interesting! See, I am absolutely terrible at eating as well, so this tastes wonderful.” Joshua takes a bite for emphasis. “Look, putting our circumstances aside, this is objectively the best ramen made in Shibuya.”

Riku nods. “You can taste the love in it.”

“ _Exactly,_ ” Joshua says, pleased. “I did not take you to have an eye for food like this.”

“Well, you know. If you spend most of the time eating fast food or instant food, you can tell apart the ones that are made with love.”

“I could not have said it better myself,” he nods in approval. “So, Riku. Whatʼs next for you?” 

“Hm?” 

“Now that this threat has passed, do you get a vacation? Free time? Or is there a secret adventure youʼd like to have?” 

Good question. Riku hasn't thought about the things he could do once he was free—usually, heʼs busy as soon as his current mission ends. Now, though… what _is_ next for him? Training? Exploring? Sleeping? 

“Oh my. Am I giving you a crisis?” 

“No, sorry,” Riku laughs softly. “I guess I just havenʼt been free in a while.”

“A while?” 

“Almost three years?” It's surprising to say it out loud. Rikuʼs eighteen, and hasnʼt been free for a day since he turned fifteen. “Wow, yeah. I guess Iʼll just travel here and there. I still donʼt know Shibuya well enough. Iʼd like to explore it better, mark down things…” 

“Well, I volunteer as your tour guide.”

“Really?” Riku grins widely. “Thank you. I look forward to it.”

“But you better deliver this time,” Joshua continues, “I wonʼt forgive you a second time.”

“Yes, yes. Lesson learned. Tell you what, Iʼll take you for dinner next time.”

Joshua laughs in disbelief. “Bold one, arenʼt you? Sure. If you say so.” 

Riku, satisfied now, continues to dig into his food. Gosh, it _really_ tasted heavenly. 

* * *

“So what youʼre saying is: I can show you basically a _decade_ of movies, and you'll give me an honest, wonderful reaction to each of them, because youʼve never seen them.”

Riku hums. “Pretty much.”

Joshuaʼs grin is comparable to the sun, almost. Itʼs a rare yet good look. “That is possibly the best thing you could have ever said to me.”

“Sounds like you really like movies.”

“If you spend a good portion of your time isolated, movies get better,” he states matter-of-factly. Waving his hand around, he continues, “Besides, I consider this a fun cultural experience and an exchange. Perhaps you can bring some movies from _your_ world and we get to compare everything.”

“That doesnʼt sound so bad,” Riku says. Abruptly, he remembers where they are, and how this is not a conversation they should be having. “Hey, focus! We are literally _breaking-and-entering_ this place!” 

“Riku, that makes us sound like we are criminals.” 

“Are we _not?”_

Joshua shrugs. “Itʼs _my city._ How could I be committing a crime, entering a place that technically belongs to me? Maybe _you_ should focus, Riku.”

Riku laughs in disbelief. 

To be fair, this little situation had gotten his adrenaline pumping in a way that he hasn't felt in ages—pure mischief. Riku feels giddy like heʼs pulling a prank on a close friend, and honestly, with Joshua being _Joshua_ he knows heʼs not in any real danger. Maybe thatʼs why heʼs so giddy, instead of trying to convince Joshua to quit their current mission. 

Joshua had promised theyʼd visit a planetarium. Apparently, what he meant was to visit it when it was _closed,_ so no one would interrupt them, and so they wouldn't queue up for it. 

“Isnʼt it a bit of a silly reason to break into a place?” Riku had asked. 

“Not at all,” Joshua had replied. 

And so here they are. 

“Youʼve been picking this lock for ten minutes,” Riku comments smugly. “Iʼm not sure that imprinting thing could last _that_ long on those security guards.”

“Riku, dear, do me a favor?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Keep quiet if you have no idea what you're talking about,” he says airily. Riku glares at him. “First, picking locks is an art. You cannot rush it. Second, are you undermining the power of my memes?” 

“Meme?” 

“Eh, Iʼll explain later. The only thing you need to know is that I imprinted on those guards to go grab dinner and call their families. We have plenty of time—” The lock _clicks._ “—and there we have it! I could use more faith next time.”

Riku snorts. “I have the right amount of faith in you.”

Joshua opens the door, inviting him in. “I am willing to let this slide for the greater good. Come on in.”

“Thank you.”

Riku steps into the great planetarium. Everything is turned off, but he still manages to walk past the chairs and to the center of the room, as Joshua gets ahead of him. He goes to what seems to be the control panel and smirks devilishly at Riku. “Iʼm the Captain now.”

“Aye, Captain,” Riku plays along. “What treasure have we found?” 

Joshua flips some buttons and suddenly, Riku is faced with a million stars. They are all over Riku's skin, and so he realizes Joshua is pointing the projector at him. Another button flips and the stars look more vivid now, like they're within his reach. Riku tries to reach out and they phase right through his fingers, but it still is so pretty. 

Joshua giggles, delighted. “Wow! So much power.”

Riku grins massively. “These feel so real.”

“Well, they are. Or… they used to. Some of these stars are only reflections of them. In reality, they no longer exist—all thatʼs left is this image that hasnʼt faded away yet.”

“Is that true?” 

“Who knows? You dare question my knowledge about stars?” 

Riku canʼt help another laugh. He sounds _so_ personally offended. Joshua keeps switching between presentations, zooming in, making it go around Riku, until they're not even talking about stars—just laughing at everything they do. 

Finally, Joshua comes down after setting a specific view of the stars. They are prettily displayed against the dark roof, shifting and changing to show a different set of them every twenty seconds or so. 

“Let us eat, then. I’d hate for the food to go cold.”

They sit at the center of the room, all the food nicely put on the floor as he digs in.

“I got these from a Chinese restaurant,” Joshua says. “Any opinions on the food?”

“Very, very good. I’m not really picky with food, although you can probably see that.”

“That, I do,” Joshua pauses to put his food down for a second. “I bought this after _much_ consideration, and before that, I decidedly ranked all the Chinese restaurants in Shibuya, and this ended up being the real winner. So, as you can see, I offer nothing but the best.”

“What’s the criteria for good restaurants, according to you?”

“Oh, trust me. You don’t want to know the intricate mechanics of my brain when it comes to deciding food matters.”

“I mean, I’m interested. But I get it. A true magician doesn’t reveal his secrets, isn’t that right?”

“Why yes, it is. You are a wise soul, Riku.”

There’s more idle chatter as they keep eating. Most of the chats are related to stars, mostly—they keep shifting and expanding as Riku keeps eating. It’s quite the scenery, and there is nothing he can’t quite compare it to. He’s been to many worlds, so he has been able to appreciate the stars in their true form, but there’s something charming about this: perhaps the place, perhaps the person he’s sharing this with.

“You know,” Riku starts, breaking off their current conversation, “I’ve never done this before.”

“This?”

“Yeah, you know. Picking a lock and entering a planetarium to have dinner,” he smiles, getting shy suddenly. It’s like he’s admitting to more than what he planned on doing. “It just—it feels special, that’s all. Sorry if I’m making things awkward, I’m appreciating it. I think I sound weird, though…”

Joshua waves his hand around, dismissive, “You’re fine. Believe it or not, my friends are experts on saying similar things to you.”

That makes Riku have a small laugh. “I imagine.”

“If it’s any comfort, I don’t do this myself either.” Joshua states, a little quiet. “I can only be around my friends for a certain amount of time. I have Mr. H, but I have a limit of five times a month where I drag him to do whatever I want,” he smirks anyway. “It’s different with you.”

“Different how?”

“I am not sure. I guess…” he drifts off. “You may be easy to talk to. And you don’t get headaches around me, so it is a very good bonus.”

Riku smiles. “You’re my friend, too,” he says. “I think—you understand me. It’s easy to talk to you, too. I guess… we’re on the same page.”

Maybe it’s the stars that motivate him to add on to it, “I don’t know, Josh. It feels nice, being with you. It’s almost like not having any responsibilities.”

Joshua nods. “I understand.”

He doesn’t add anything else—probably too embarrassed to?—but Riku’s heart is already beating faster. It’s not like him to do these admissions, or to complain about his responsibilities, but something about Joshua—something about how things seem to be so _simple_ and yet so extraordinary that keeps him admitting feelings; makes him want to stay and hang out longer.

But of course.

That’s an admission for another day—maybe with another setting. It’s been enough for today.

* * *

“Can I ask something a bit stupid?” Riku asks.

“No questions are ever stupid,” Joshua answers. “Although, I have heard many stupid questions, so perhaps I am wrong. What is it?”

“So… all your friends have more than one name,” he starts. “Neku Sakuraba. Shiki Misaki. Even Beat has another name. Why? And why don’t you have an extra name?”

“Oh? But I do?” Joshua blinks, slightly confused. “Haven’t I told you about this already?”

“Not really?”

“My bad. My real name’s Yoshiya Kiryu.”

“ _What?_ ” Riku turns to look at him so quickly it hurts his neck a bit. “Then what’s Joshua?”

“A nickname, basically. Everybody’s got ‘two names,’ as you put it. Why, Riku, don’t you have a last name?”

“No. I’m just… Riku.”

“Most interesting,” Joshua hums. “Is this a thing just in your world, or is everybody in your universe living without a last name?”

“Yeah. None of my friends have a last name—why are they even there?”

“Usually they represent which family we are from. It’s also a huge help for when two people share names, if there is more than one person with the name _Riku_ in Japan—which, there _are_ —then we can tell which one is which with their last name. Anyway, you having only one name isn’t as wild as you think: many cultures in the world also don’t have a last name. Some cultures have _more_ than one _._ Aren’t humans just crazy?”

Riku shrugs. “Sure. Still… a last name would sound cool, at least if I’m staying around Shibuya.”

“A new identity, hmm? Perhaps you’d want to steal our friends’ last names, how does that sound?”

“I mean… walking around calling myself _Riku Sakuraba_ might cause Neku to kill me, but, it doesn’t sound _that_ bad, does it?”

“You can also always just use mine,” Joshua states. There’s a brief pause where his eyes widen, like he regrets something _immensely,_ but the look disappears within the next second. “Or—or Mr. H’s, you know. A plethora to choose from.”

Why is he so embarrassed? “Riku Kiryu does have a ring to it.”

“Oh, please,” Joshua says. He seems to be conflicted about what to say next, but he settles on: “Of course my last name is the best one out of the bunch. It is simply not fair competition for the others. Give the others a try, mm?”

“Yo, seriously, jus’ stick with our last name,” Beat grins widely. “It’s like gettin’ a free brother!”

“Yup! Plus, Riku Bito _is_ cute, isn’t it?” Rhyme says happily. “A free brother!”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Riku considers it for a while. If he got “adopted” by Beat and Rhyme, then he’d be able to stop bothering Joshua about sleeping over at his place. “I could crash with you guys more often.”

“Why not just stick with Joshua’s, then?” Shiki wonders out loud, hand on her chin. “I mean, you sleep over there sometimes. Makes things easier.”

Surprisingly, Joshua doesn’t seem to have anything to say. He’s just sipping his milkshake. Plus, he was the one who recommended Riku to have fun with other names, so maybe that’s his way of letting him know he didn’t like _his_ last name being used. That’s fair. Maybe it’s some family pride.

Neku laughs quietly. “You kidding? Joshua must be thinking that’s like a marriage proposal. Look at how quiet he is.”

“You could not be any more wrong,” Joshua says calmly.

“Marriage proposal?” asks Riku. “What’s that got to do with this?”

“Traditionally, when you marry someone, you take their last name or they take yours. Some people in other countries just use a hyphen for it, too, but yeah,” Shiki explains, giggling. “I guess it’s funny when it’s you guys.”

Riku laughs. _Marriage._ Joshua could not be any less interested in him in _that_ way. 

“The stupidity of this joke does not even warrant a reply from me,” Joshua says, shaking his head. “But if you people would like to be silly about it, I am no one to stop you.”

“Ha ha, married,” Neku sneers.

It’s a little funny how Neku is the one person who can get under Joshua’s nerves so easily. Riku hides his laugh behind his hand, but it’s not all that well hidden—Joshua still looks at him like he betrayed his whole family.

“Sorry, you’re just easy to rile up,” Riku says, which doesn’t help his case at all. Joshua huffs, good-heartedly, and Riku instead puts his hand on his arm. “It’s fine. I’m loyal to you.”

“A little too late, but I appreciate the sentiment nonetheless.”

Shiki snorts. “You guys _are_ kinda married. It’s cute!”

Okay, that’s enough embarrassment for today. 

“So… Yoshiya,” Riku starts again when they’re leaving the diner. “Why don’t you use that name?”

“I see no need for it,” Joshua says. He’s smiling a bit. “Plus, it’s what my parents used to call me. Before they died, of course. It seems fitting to continue family tradition.”

“I’m sorry for bringing that up.”

“It’s not a big deal,” but Riku wonders if he usually says these things to other people. “I guess you get to know a little more about me.”

“I appreciate it,” he replies. “Can I stay over again?”

“When can you not?” Joshua smirks. “After all, you have my last name, don’t you? I did say it was the best out of the bunch.”

Riku laughs. “So we’re married?”

“Without even dating first. Quite a jump, isn’t it?”

He keeps laughing. 

At least jokes about this were okay.

* * *

The realization of how deep his feelings ran for Joshua is exactly how heʼd expect it to happen: like dropping a bucket of ice over him. It's such a _moment,_ even if the build-up to it was pretty anticlimactic. 

Itʼs a night made for fun games between friends, at Joshua's place, of course. That's why it's so underwhelming that Riku realizes it _tonight_ —it pretty much feels like any other day but _enhanced._

Joshua makes a joke and laughs at it, as usual, and something about that—about the way his hair curls around his face, about how his jokes genuinely make him laugh, about how if something is funny enough his eyes get squinty… it's a big alarm siren going off inside his head. 

“I have to, um, get more Coke,” Riku says, standing up. 

Nobody really comments on it, which is great, since he needs to be alone with his thoughts for a while. Itʼs not like it takes him by surprise—maybe it does, a bit, but overall this is almost expected. Like he _knew_ about these feelings; his brain just… decided to flip on the switch. 

His brain, helpful as always, starts giving him images that only feel like he's being mocked. He thinks of all their fun moments, all their serious talks, all the times where they stay up watching nothing and doing everything as the sun rises behind them. This is a very terrible realization in the middle of a sleepover. 

“Is the Coke that good?” Joshua asks, then in a condescending manner adds, “Surely you know how to get back to the living room from the kitchen.”

Why does he like him, again? Riku already forgot. He rolls his eyes at him. “Yep, I am just thinking about stuff.”

“Good stuff? Bad stuff?” 

_You,_ he wants to say, but that's a little bit of a jump. “Just stuff,” he settles for saying. 

Joshua narrows his eyes. “Hopefully youʼre being cryptic for the sake of being cryptic. Anyhow, I was curious to see what happened to you. Itʼs been ten minutes. Everything good on your end?” 

Heʼs worried. Itʼs so obvious, in the way he holds himself, the frown on his lips, and all the things that make him wonder how long heʼs been aware of these traits. How long has it been since he first made himself familiar with Joshua’s mannerisms? There is no right answer for it. A lopsided grin smile covers his features. “Everything’s perfect. Stop worrying.”

“I was not worrying. It is simply uncomfortable to have one person at a party not enjoying themselves,” he says, but his shoulders relax and he smiles a bit easier now, even if he’d claim to not be doing those things. Riku’s giddy with this realization. “Let’s get back now, shall we?”

“Yeah. Thank you for checking in, it’s very sweet of you.”

“As I said: don’t want to look like a bad host. What kind of impression would I leave on people if I ignored you, mm?”

The next few weekends play funnily for Riku. It’s a lot to handle, suddenly, spending time with Joshua. Of course, Riku’s not the type to suddenly ghost him, but it _is_ increasingly harder to ignore his feelings. Like having to not stare at Joshua for _too_ much time, trying to not hold his breath and tense up whenever they’re slightly closer than usual, everything is a little complicated. 

“You’re staring,” Joshua sing-songs. “Why, Riku. At this point your feelings for me aren’t even well-hidden.”

“Ah,” Riku says, feeling the anxiety creep up on him, “Is that a bad thing?”

“Is what—excuse me?” Joshua quickly turns to look at him. 

“You said it yourself, theyʼre not well-hidden,” Riku scratches his cheek. This isn't the direction he wanted _anything_ to go. For starters, he wasn't even planning on confessing. “Iʼd like to set boundaries if it makes you uncomfortable—” 

“You have feelings for me?” 

“Yeah? Isnʼt that what weʼre talking about?” 

Joshua's eyes are round, wide in wonder. “I had no idea.”

“But you just—” 

“I was kidding.”

Oh. Oh, well. Riku feels the way his face reddens. Any more and heʼll explode. “Iʼm sorry. I didnʼt mean to tell you.”

“No need to apologize for that,” In a weird turn of events, Joshua is avoiding his stare now. Huh. He really screwed this one up, didn't he? “Iʼm flattered, considering I have done my own share of staring at you, and my feelings are not that different from yours.”

“You—” Riku stops, gathers himself. “What?” 

“Oh, donʼt act like you didnʼt hear me.” The smirk he wears is such a poor attempt at regaining control of the situation. “What a funny situation we find ourselves in.”

“No kidding!” he laughs incredulously. “Gosh, what? I could kiss you right now! Donʼt joke around like that!” 

“Go ahead, then. Kiss me.”

“This is—” Riku rubs his eyes. “Iʼm going crazy.”

“That makes two of us.”

“First of all… Iʼd, well, I guess Iʼd want my first kiss to be more special,” he says. “This is too random.”

“Fair enough.” Settling into a thinking pose, Joshua asks, “Riku, are you a good dancer?” 

“ _No._ ”

Immediately, Joshua gets up from the floor, pulling him up as well. There goes their movie night. Joshuaʼs hands are cool against his own, not a new fact, but still surprising. 

“So you put your hand here…” He guides one to his waist, “and this one stays here.”

Theyʼre just gonna hold hands like this? Riku is already trying to process his hand on Joshuaʼs waist. 

Riku swallows. “Then what?” 

“We just sway along until you find the right moment to kiss me, of course. Why, you were the one who said you could do it. I am simply setting up the romantic scenery for it.”

Incredulous again, Riku laughs. He drops his head slightly as he attempts to move to an imaginary beat. He steps on his foot a few times, getting Joshua to be _so_ offended, and it's so easy to lose themselves in the living room, just dancing in circles. 

Itʼs also easy then, to slow down naturally, to bring Joshua closer and join their lips together. 

* * *

Rikuʼs parents like Joshua more than he expected them to. In fact, he had no doubt theyʼd like him, but it was still pretty funny—within _hours_ his parents were pampering Joshua with foods and drinks and whatever popped into their brains. 

“Are you _sure_ you donʼt want a jacket?” His mom asks Joshua again. “You seem so cold, Iʼm sure Riku could give you some of his jackets.”

Riku can see the way Joshuaʼs reflex of wanting to say heʼs dead wants to kick in, so he steps in, grabbing his hand. “Actually, mom, weʼre gonna take a walk at the beach. Some sunlight will absolutely help. Weʼll be back for dinner!” 

He drags Joshua outside before any more questions are asked, and states, “Look, I know you really love answering sarcastically, but you canʼt tell my mom youʼre undead.”

“Thatʼs certainly a party-pooper, but alas, what can we do?” Joshua shrugs. “Fine. I was not going to, anyway, but I appreciate the concern.”

“Yeah, sure. Did you bring any sunscreen?” 

“Yes, plenty. I get burnt _easily._ ”

Riku snorts. “I expected that from you.”

“What does _that_ mean?” 

“Oh, you know,” he says, which says nothing at all, much to Joshua's anger. 

He still holds his hand as they make their way to the beach. The change of airs seem to be wonderful for Joshua—heʼs never seen his boyfriend so… _relaxed._ His smiles come easily, and he swings their hands while they walk, asking all sorts of questions about the islands to Riku. 

Heʼs happy to reply to all of them. Heʼs also happy to splash some water at him as they walk, to run away when Joshua retaliates, and to just have fun. Joshuaʼs smile is wide and carefree and _so_ precious, Riku wants to freeze the sunset and enjoy the moment forever. 

They do end up sitting at the shore, side by side. Joshuaʼs head rests on his shoulder, his hand holding Riku's as the sun keeps setting. 

“You seem relaxed,” Riku comments, quietly. He leans in to press a kiss to his forehead, just to make him laugh. “Never thought youʼd like the beach.”

“It is an extremely lovely place. Your family is also a delight, and…” he pauses. “I canʼt hear the city when Iʼm here. It is… oddly liberating, as it is disturbing.”

“Do you miss it already?” 

“Maybe. Perhaps I am used to it,” Joshua sighs. “We are creatures of habits. Whether they are good or bad, once we are stripped away from something we always do or have, we miss it. Itʼs one of those situations. However… this little “break” is nice. Welcomed.”

“Hey, this place is always open for you,” Riku grins. “You can consider it home, too.”

“Arenʼt you boyfriend of the year?” Joshua laughs. “Thanks. I can only hope Shibuya serves as a second home to you, too.”

“As long as youʼre there.”

He shakes his head, softly. “You are so ridiculous.”

He also does get up from his shoulder to kiss him, so really, is he _that_ ridiculous? 

* * *

**[Joshua]:** So logically speaking, _your_ universe seems to dictate different rules from mine, so if you really think about it, if I were to break certain rules _there_ and then came back _here_ , it would be like it never happened because those rules do not overlap with mine. 

**[Joshua]:** So I'm saying we could be criminals across the universe. 

**[Riku]:** How is this a good idea? 

**[Joshua]:** How is it not? The thrill? The _high?_ Riku. Come on. 

**[Riku]:** It's two in the morning 

**[Riku]:** absolutely nothing good comes from texting at this hour

 **[Joshua]:** Time does not have any type of correlation with my brilliant plan.

 **[Riku]:** I gotta sleep :) Love you

 **[Joshua]:** What a coward. Good night. 

  
  


**[Joshua]:** Me too. :) 

**Author's Note:**

> wow! last joshriku of the year :0
> 
> this year has been Long and Boy Has It Sucked! BUT i started the idea of one joshriku per month as a fun little project for myself, like. maybe i could Get myself to do something to be proud of. I'm never good at long term things or projects, but i managed to do this every month for a full year hehehe. and i feel like a lot of the happiness i encountered this year i owe it to this. luckily this is a rarepair fic so i can ramble on my authors notes LOL but these fics finally made me enjoy writing for myself & find joy with what i create. so writing after 384883 years is finally Enjoyable and Happy instead of a task i should make. wheeehehe. had a lot of fun writing two kids too young and dumb who just support each other lol. they deserve it.
> 
> anyway. thanks for reading. there's a strange comfort in knowing these matter Very Little because if i end up deleting these to free up my profile or bc i felt like it, i wouldn't regret them too much because they made Me happy. hehe. anywya. i wish everyone who reads this very happy holidays and to stay safe :-), ❤️


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